Energy Storage

MSc

2023/24 Full-time Postgraduate course

Award:

Master of Science

Faculty:

Faculty of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment

School:

Belfast School of Architecture and the Built Environment

Campus:

Belfast campus

Start dates:

September 2023

January 2024

This course is now closed for International applications for September 2023

United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

We are passionate about sharing with our students the vital role they each have now and as future professionals in promoting a sustainable future for all. We believe that sustainability is not the domain of one discipline or profession. It is the responsibility of all disciplines, professions, organisations and individuals.

That is why on each of our courses within the Belfast School of Architecture and the Built Environment you will learn about the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the contribution you can make now, and as a graduate in the Built Environment.

Read the course details below to find out more.

Overview

MSc Energy Storage provides the expertise to fulfil the expectations of an energy storage market that is predicted to grow to $250 billion by 2040.

Summary

Energy Storage is a rapidly developing field of study within both academia and industry, in response to the need to decarbonise our energy systems through renewable energy. Bloomberg New Energy Finance predicts explosive growth over the next 12 years.

Our MSc Energy Storage programme will enable graduates to embark on a professional career in energy storage with the high-level skills needed to meet the emerging challenges. Large scale renewable energy from non-dispatchable wind and solar energy, for example, has begun to threaten the operation of existing electricity networks in several countries.

You will be introduced to the essential areas of renewable energy, energy management, distributed energy resource management and energy storage technologies.

A key feature of the course is our staff; you will be taught by published academics who will enhance your learning experience with research-led teaching.

The course has been recently (2022) accredited by the Energy Institute.

We’d love to hear from you!

We know that choosing to study at university is a big decision, and you may not always be able to find the information you need online.

Please contact Ulster University with any queries or questions you might have about:

  • Course specific information
  • Fees and Finance
  • Admissions

For any queries regarding getting help with your application, please select Admissions in the drop down below.

For queries related to course content, including modules and placements, please select Course specific information.

We look forward to hearing from you.

About this course

About

The MSc Energy Storage programme is a 12 months full-time Master’s degree designed for those who are keen to address the challenges to move towards a low carbon society.

The programme provides a thorough grounding in the core disciplines of energy storage and is embedded in global best practice, technology and economics of its deployment. The course combines technology understanding with critical assessment of performance characteristics within energy market structures, giving graduates an expertise in sizing and selecting the optimum energy storage technology.

The course is delivered by the Centre of Sustainable Technologies (CST), whose knowledge, facilities, industrial links and data sets are drawn from more than £10M of externally funded past and current projects in energy storage. As a primary example, SPIRE 2 – Storage Platform for the Integration of Renewable Energy - was a University of Ulster led EU funded Euro 6.7M cross border project exploring how energy storage resources owned by business and domestic consumers can resolve the problem of the variability of output from renewable energy. The project was completed in 2022.

Students will have the opportunity to engage with industry during their research dissertation project and through the participation in workshops/seminars organised by the Centre for Sustainable Technologies linked to national and international projects in the field of energy storage and energy.

You will be taught by published academics who will enhance your learning experience with research-led teaching. Research is a core activity of the Faculty of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment.

The Centre for Sustainable Technologies (CST) is one research centre within the Faculty. The centre focuses on energy as its core activity and has a strong portfolio of energy and energy storage related projects focussing on the modelling and development of both electrical and thermal storage technologies and their place in Distributed Energy Resource Systems and their markets. World leading research is demonstrated by over £10M of externally funded research income in energy storage from EU, EPSRC and SfI and over 140 peer reviewed publications in this and related fields.

Attendance

All modules will be delivered through blended learning (i.e. via virtual learning environment, VLE, as well as traditional face-to-face teaching on the Jordanstown campus). Blended learning will provide students with the opportunity to have direct contact with the team, access seminars to engage with industry and generate experience in the laboratories of the Centre for Sustainable Technologies at Jordanstown campus. A blended learning approach will ensure that the learner is engaged and in control of his/her individual learning experience. We also believe that this approach helps to better meet individual needs of the learner.

Start dates

  • September 2023
  • January 2024

Teaching, Learning and Assessment

Teaching methods are diverse and planned for an advanced education in energy storage. Lectures are considered an effective way of engaging students and communicating knowledge coherently. There are both face to face and on-line teaching through our University’s VLE, Blackboard Learn (BBL). Practical, laboratory-based work is a central activity, and the Centre for Sustainable Technologies has a number of state-of-the-art laboratories in which renewable and energy storage systems can be both demonstrated and assessed.

The modules are all 15 credit point modules, except for the dissertation module that is 60 credit points, for a total of 180 credits. Modules are all 100% coursework. There are a maximum of two items of assessment in a module. An item may include more than one component, but the overall item will have a single mark.

Academic profile

The University employs over 1,000 suitably qualified and experienced academic staff - 59% have PhDs in their subject field and many have professional body recognition.

Courses are taught by staff who are Professors (25%), Readers, Senior Lecturers (20%) or Lecturers (55%).

We require most academic staff to be qualified to teach in higher education: 82% hold either Postgraduate Certificates in Higher Education Practice or higher. Most academic staff (81%) are accredited fellows of the Higher Education Academy (HEA) by Advanced HE - the university sector professional body for teaching and learning. Many academic and technical staff hold other professional body designations related to their subject or scholarly practice.

The profiles of many academic staff can be found on the University’s departmental websites and give a detailed insight into the range of staffing and expertise.  The precise staffing for a course will depend on the department(s) involved and the availability and management of staff.  This is subject to change annually and is confirmed in the timetable issued at the start of the course.

Occasionally, teaching may be supplemented by suitably qualified part-time staff (usually qualified researchers) and specialist guest lecturers. In these cases, all staff are inducted, mostly through our staff development programme ‘First Steps to Teaching’. In some cases, usually for provision in one of our out-centres, Recognised University Teachers are involved, supported by the University in suitable professional development for teaching.

Figures correct for academic year 2021-2022.

Belfast campus

Accommodation

High quality apartment living in Belfast city centre adjacent to the university campus.

Find out more - information about accommodation  


Student Wellbeing

At Student Wellbeing we provide many services to help students through their time at Ulster University.

Find out more - information about student wellbeing  


Belfast Campus Location

The Belfast campus is situated in the artistic and cultural centre of the city, the Cathedral Quarter.

Find out more about our Belfast Campus.

Campus Address

Ulster University,
2-24 York Street,
Belfast
BT15 1AP

T: 02870 123 456

Standard entry conditions

We recognise a range of qualifications for admission to our courses. In addition to the specific entry conditions for this course you must also meet the University’s General Entrance Requirements.

Entry Requirements

Applicants must:

(a) have gained:

(i) a second class honours degree or better, in the subject areas of science or engineering or related discipline, from a university of the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland, or from a recognised national awarding body, or from an institution of another country which has been recognised as being of an equivalent standard;

or

(ii) an equivalent standard (normally 50%) in a Graduate Diploma, Graduate Certificate, Postgraduate Certificate or Postgraduate Diploma or an approved alternative qualification; and the qualification must be in the subject areas of science, engineering or related discipline.

and

(b) provide evidence of competence in written and spoken English (GCSE grade C or equivalent).

In exceptional circumstances, as an alternative to (a) (i) or (a) (ii) and/or (b), where an individual has substantial and significant experiential learning, a portfolio of written evidence demonstrating the meeting of graduate qualities (including subject-specific outcomes, as determined by the Course Committee) may be considered as an alternative entrance route. Evidence used to demonstrate graduate qualities may not be used for exemption against modules within the programme.

English Language Requirements

English language requirements for international applicants
The minimum requirement for this course is Academic IELTS 6.0 with no band score less than 5.5. Trinity ISE: Pass at level III also meets this requirement for Tier 4 visa purposes.

Ulster recognises a number of other English language tests and comparable IELTS equivalent scores.

Exemptions and transferability

Students may be admitted to the programme in line with Accreditation of Prior Learning guidelines. Students from this course would be eligible to directly enter graduate employment or to proceed to further study at PhD level.

Careers & opportunities

In this section

Career options

The MSc Energy Storage aims to prepare students for a successful career in energy or energy storage. In the United States, it is predicted that there will be over 350,000 energy storage jobs by 2025. The EU will support a new battery cell manufacturing industry with 200M Euro investment. The UK Clean Growth Strategy reports over 430,000 in the low carbon sector and 17,750 jobs linked with the growing energy storage and electric vehicle industry.

Students will have the opportunity to apply for a job or improving their position in energy transmission companies, energy distribution companies, energy supply companies, consultancies and at a regional or national government level.

Furthermore, employability is at the heart of Ulster University vision. The MSc Energy Storage will allow students to develop and enhance their employability skills. Employability is embedded within the modules rather than concentrating on specific modules.

Apply

Start dates

  • September 2023
  • January 2024

Fees and funding

Fees (total cost)

Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland and EU Settlement Status Fees

£6,720.00

International Fees

£15,840.00

Additional mandatory costs

It is important to remember that costs associated with accommodation, travel (including car parking charges) and normal living will need to be covered in addition to tuition fees.

Where a course has additional mandatory expenses (in addition to tuition fees) we make every effort to highlight them above. We aim to provide students with the learning materials needed to support their studies. Our libraries are a valuable resource with an extensive collection of books and journals, as well as first-class facilities and IT equipment. Computer suites and free Wi-Fi are also available on each of the campuses.

There are additional fees for graduation ceremonies, examination resits and library fines.

Students choosing a period of paid work placement or study abroad as a part of their course should be aware that there may be additional travel and living costs, as well as tuition fees.

See the tuition fees on our student guide for most up to date costs.

Contact

We’d love to hear from you!

We know that choosing to study at university is a big decision, and you may not always be able to find the information you need online.

Please contact Ulster University with any queries or questions you might have about:

  • Course specific information
  • Fees and Finance
  • Admissions

For any queries regarding getting help with your application, please select Admissions in the drop down below.

For queries related to course content, including modules and placements, please select Course specific information.

We look forward to hearing from you.


For more information visit

Disclaimer

  1. Although reasonable steps are taken to provide the programmes and services described, the University cannot guarantee the provision of any course or facility and the University may make variations to the contents or methods of delivery of courses, discontinue, merge or combine courses and introduce new courses if such action is reasonably considered to be necessary by the University. Such circumstances include (but are not limited to) industrial action, lack of demand, departure of key staff, changes in legislation or government policy including changes, if any, resulting from the UK departing the European Union, withdrawal or reduction of funding or other circumstances beyond the University’s reasonable control.
  1. If the University discontinues any courses, it will use its best endeavours to provide a suitable alternative course. In addition, courses may change during the course of study and in such circumstances the University will normally undertake a consultation process prior to any such changes being introduced and seek to ensure that no student is unreasonably prejudiced as a consequence of any such change.
  1. The University does not accept responsibility (other than through the negligence of the University, its staff or agents), for the consequences of any modification or cancellation of any course, or part of a course, offered by the University but will take into consideration the effects on individual students and seek to minimise the impact of such effects where reasonably practicable.
  1. The University cannot accept any liability for disruption to its provision of educational or other services caused by circumstances beyond its control, but the University will take all reasonable steps to minimise the resultant disruption to such services.
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